The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry released its preliminary employment situation report for October.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was unchanged over the month at 3.4%. It was the 13th consecutive month with an identical rate — the longest streak on record (back to 1976).

The commonwealth’s rate remained well under the U.S. unemployment rate, which was also unchanged from its September level at 4.1%.

Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force — the estimated number of residents working or looking for work — was down 25,000 over the month to 6,531,000. Resident employment drove the labor force decline.

Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were down 1,400 over the month from September’s record high to 6,204,700 in October. Jobs increased from September in seven of the 11 industry supersectors. The largest supersector movement was a decline of 4,500 in professional and business services. Leisure and hospitality and other services reached record high job levels in October.

Additional information is available on the department website at www.dli.pa.gov.